The woman at the keyboard!

I'm Michelle. I'm 29, from the UK but I'm currently living in the South of Italy.

I've been "in" to the fitness scene since 2012, when I first realised that my weight had got out of control and it was time to take it back. I weighed around 175Ibs and looked like a middle-aged woman (I was 24).

I started my path to fitness by running. I loved it, but as with everything that doesn't "take" me, I lost interest. The fire had already taken though, so instead of running, I started going to the gym and I discovered weight-lifting. I had found my calling, or so I thought. The heavier I lifted, the happier I was, until one day in February 2014, a friend and I decided to bite the bullet and go to a pole session. We'd been meaning to try it for a while, but hadn't had the courage. From that first spin, I was hooked.

2015 came. I went through a divorce, met an amazing new guy & injured my shoulder pretty badly. Everything stopped, and being a happy (albeit frustrated) bunny, I ate. And ate. Just like I'd been eating when I was training twice a day, 5 days a week....

I weighed 148Ibs at the start of summer in 2015. Nearly 40Ibs later, having moved to Italy (oh the food....) I'm here, uninjured (but very stiff) and starting the process again. This time round though, I have no regrets & although I want to improve the way I look & feel, I love the body I'm in. The strength it has & the determination I own to get there.

You can also follow me on Twitter @squidgeypaws and Instagram @squidgeypaws (yeah ok, it's not that long a story. I play WoW, I'm a boomkin druid and occasionally a Brewmaster monk. I'm the GM of what was a successful raiding guild (before the WoD dry-up) and yes, it does fit in with fitness.....got to be able to roll my face on the keyboard and all that...).